The Week ahead

The EPP Group is at the forefront of efforts to support car manufacturers, safeguard European jobs and strengthen the sector's competitiveness against global competitors. Following the lead of the EPP Group, the European Parliament will vote on Tuesday to speed up legislation to protect the European car industry from disproportionate fines. “This vote is critical for giving car manufacturers much-needed relief and the flexibility to meet their climate targets. It proves that the EPP Group stands with automotive workers and is committed to keeping Europe’s automotive industry resilient and strong. We have been pushing for this urgent relief from the beginning. Through the strong cooperation with the S&D and Renew Groups, we aim to deliver this next week,” said Jens Gieseke MEP, EPP Group spokesman on the automotive industry. If Tuesday's fast-track vote is successful, the Parliament will hold a final vote on Thursday on the proposal to protect the European car industry from unnecessary fines.

Tariffs serve no one - they harm consumers on both sides and weaken our joint economic strength. On Tuesday morning, the plenary of the European Parliament will debate the EU response to US trade measures. "The EU will respond to US measures proportionately and within WTO rules," said Jörgen Warborn MEP, EPP Group spokesman for International Trade. "Our goal is to re-engage through dialogue rather than escalate tensions. Unity is key: a strong, coordinated European approach is essential to protect our interests."  Warborn outlined three strategic priorities the EU must pursue: "deepening our Single Market to boost our negotiating leverage, expanding our global trade network beyond the US, and leading reform of the WTO to defend the rules-based international trade system".

As the EU Parliament debates on Wednesday how to win the global tech race, the EPP Group welcomes the EU Commission’s ambition to boost innovation and close funding gaps. The EPP Group supports the focus on strategic technologies such as AI, cleantech, and biotech, and the proposed simplification of EU funding instruments. Christian Ehler MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on research, warns that sidelining fundamental research would be a strategic mistake. “Investing only in top-down priorities limits Europe’s ability to prepare for the unknown. Excellence and autonomy in research must remain non-negotiable,” he said, stressing that the EPP Group will work to ensure that future EU funding continues to support both strategic innovation and bottom-up research excellence.

After years of pressure from the EPP Group, the European Parliament will finally take action to adjust the wolf’s protection status under the Habitats Directive. "This change will ease the anxieties of many farmers and rural communities and ensure a balance between protecting their livelihoods and maintaining conservation efforts,” says Herbert Dorfmann MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in Parliament's Agriculture Committee. “This is a major breakthrough in tackling growing wolf populations. Once approved, Member States will be responsible for implementing the change into their management plans, offering solutions to the problems caused by wolf populations" adds Esther Herranz Garcia MEP, who is in charge of the topic on behalf of the EPP Group in the Parliament’s Environment Committee. On Tuesday, the plenary of the European Parliament will vote on fast tracking the legislative procedure to adjust the protection status of wolves. If successful, the Parliament will hold a final vote on the proposal to change the wolf’s protection status on Thursday.

The EPP Group wants to end the secrecy surrounding NGO financing. Having long led efforts to expose the lack of transparency of certain NGOs for years, the EPP Group now urges the European Commission to investigate its financing of lobbying targeting other EU institutions. The European Parliament will discuss this topic as part of the debate on the European Commission’s use of its budget during its upcoming plenary session on Wednesday. "Every organisation receiving public money must be subject to public scrutiny. This applies not only to governments and agencies but also to NGOs. To maintain the public's trust, the EU must remain impartial," said Tomáš Zdechovský MEP, the EPP Group's Spokesman on Budgetary Control.

A widespread blackout on Monday left 60 million people across Spain and Portugal without electricity, mobile service, or access to basic infrastructure. While the cause of the power outage remains unclear, the European Parliament will debate the urgent need to strengthen the EU’s energy grid resilience on Wednesday. Dolors Montserrat MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chairwomen for Economy and Environment, also points to the responsibility of the Spanish government for the chaos experienced on Monday:  “The blackout we suffered is deeply concerning for the European Union. Spain was plunged into chaos, with no electricity, no mobile phones, people trapped in lifts, trains, and roads. Europe must demand answers from Pedro Sánchez's government, which has yet to explain why it happened or take any responsibility. What has become clear is that energy policy cannot be based on sectarianism. We need to guarantee the supply of electricity and combine different energy sources. We cannot allow this to happen again.”

The EPP Group insists that peace in Ukraine cannot be a Russian dictate. The aggressors should not be rewarded. We support a just, permanent and comprehensive settlement that allows Ukraine to make decisions about its future. “If Russia succeeds in its war aims, Europe will return to an era of war, an era of political and economic instability.  The claim that Putin will stop at Ukraine is an illusion. He will follow on to the Baltic States, Poland and other countries. And this is not just about Europe – the repercussions will be global. Our response has to define our place in this new world,” stresses Andrzej Halicki, EPP Group Vice-Chair in charge of Foreign Affairs, ahead of Parliament’s plenary debate on Wednesday morning.